Because the state of SEO is always fluid, content marketing programs must be aware of, and align with, these SEO changes. These eight steps will keep your content marketing current and relevant.

1. You Are Missing in
Content Marketing
8 SEO DRIVERS
Presented by:
You Are Missing in
Content Marketing
8 SEO DRIVERS
Presented by:

2. SEO IS ALWAYS CHANGING.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

3. WHICH MEANSyour content strategy — what you
create and how it is found — is
ALWAYS CHANGING AS WELL.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

4. BUT IS SEO
ALWAYS CHANGING?
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

5. BECAUSE THE WAY
WE INTERACT WITH
RELY ON TECHNOLOGY
IS CHANGING.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

6. #8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
is tough, and the search engines want
to get it right so that they can
meet our needs when we search.
(Their business depends on it).

7. THERE’S DEEP SCIENCE INVOLVED, MOST OFTEN DICTATED
BY THE LATEST SEARCH ENGINE ALGORITHM.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

8. #8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
The current search engine
algorithms consider MORE
THAN 200 UNIQUE SIGNALS
when choosing what to serve
as a search result.

9. Content marketers need to care
about these algorithms, and must
use SEO as the starting point to
maximize their programs.
WHY?
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

10. Stuff
keywords
in my content
SEO 2011: THE RANKING ALGORITHM USED TO FEEL LIKE THIS
RANKING
Get Links Launch a blog
} }
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
Source: moz.com

11. Page 1. What is Epsom salt
Page 2. What is magnesium sulfate
Page 3. Uses of Epsom salt
Page 4. Uses of magnesium sulfate
Page 5. Health benefits of Epsom salt
Page 6. Health benefits of magnesium
sulfate
SEO
2011
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
SO THE MINDSET WAS: I WANT TO RANK FOR
THESE KEYWORDS.

12. SEO NOW: TODAY, IT’S MORE LIKE THIS
RANKING
Topical Relevance
Link Earning
10X Content
Mobile Friendliness
Social Signals
User Experience
Technical SEO
HTTPS (securing users’ info)
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

13. Topic 1. The many uses of Epsom salt
Topic 2. The benefits of Epsom salt
Topic 3. How it’s different from other salts
Topic 4. Its safety (ingestion, on plants, etc.)
Topic 5. Expert research (if it works, how it works)
SO THE MINDSET IS: I WANT TO BE AN AUTHORITY ON
THESE TOPICS.
SEO
NOW
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

14. How is all this relevant to your content strategy,
and how does it impact your content marketing?
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

15. of marketers believe their CONTENT
MARKETING has low to no effectiveness.
Percentage of the TOTAL MARKETING BUDGET
that an average marketer spends ON CONTENT.
of marketers STRUGGLE TO PRODUCE
CONTENT that truly engages their buyers.
of marketers say GENERATING TRAFFIC
AND LEADS is their top challenge
70%
87%
63%
29%
(Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com)
(Source: expresswriters.com)
(Source: curata.com)
(Source: hubspot.com)
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

16. HOW CAN WE MAKE
IT BETTER?
Two important steps to effective
content marketing are:
CREATING CONTENT
PEOPLE ACTUALLY
CARE ABOUT
MAKING SURE
PEOPLE CAN EASILY
FIND THAT CONTENT
SEO is the only discipline that is
WIRED TO DO THOSE TWO THINGS.
Make your content marketing
program more successful by
following 8 SEO best practices.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

17. 1. TOPICAL RELEVANCE
2. LINK EARNING
3. 10X CONTENT
4. TECHNICAL SEO
5. HTTPS (SECURING USERS’ INFO)
6. MOBILE FRIENDLINESS
7. SOCIAL SIGNALS
8. USER EXPERIENCE
8 SEO DRIVERSFOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

18. TOPICAL RELEVANCE (hint, it’s the relevance part that matters)
SEARCH ENGINES ONCE CARED ABOUT
MATCHING KEYWORDS IN A SEARCH
TO KEYWORDS ON YOUR SITE.
Now they want to know which brand is an
authority on a particular topic – not what site
uses a keyword more than another.
Use Google Instant to uncover search queries. Do you see any themes (topics)? Do
you have a unique point-of-view on those topics? Enough to “own” those topics?
Good! Write a series on those topics. Write naturally. Use relevant keywords but
don’t stuff your copy with them. Become the expert and the search engines - and
your target audience - will reward you.
#1 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency Google Instant
search engine optimization
search engine optimization tips
search engine optimization definition
search engine optimization google

19. LINK-BUILDING ONCE INVOLVED GETTING LINKS
PLACED ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE YOU
COULD TO STUFF YOUR LINK BASKET.
Now links should be earned.
Write a piece with high topical
relevance, amplify it, and let
the links and mentions flow in
naturally. Even unlinked mentions
- also known as implied links -
have SEO value.
LINK EARNING Like earned media, Google wants you to earn links, not acquire them.
#2 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

20. 10X CONTENT is content that’s
10 times better than the best result
that can currently be found in the
search results for a given keyword
phrase or topic.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgencySource: moz.com
#3 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
10X CONTENT

21. - Provides a uniquely positive user experience through
the user interface, visuals, layout, fonts, patterns, etc.
- Delivers content that is some substantive combination
of high quality, trustworthy, useful, interesting, and
remarkable.
- Is considerably different in scope and detail from
other works on similar topics.
- Loads quickly and is usable on any device or browser.
- Creates an emotional response of awe, surprise, joy,
anticipation, and/or admiration.
- Has achieved an impressive quantity of amplification
(through shares on social networks and/or links).
- Solves a problem or answers a question by providing
comprehensive, accurate, exceptional information or
resources.
10X CONTENT
CRITERIA FOR 10X CONTENT
#3 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
Source: moz.com

22. Use meta tags, intuitive site structure, breadcrumbs, friendly URLs.
Create meaningful internal links and disavow bad inbound links.
Tell your developer to use schema markup and structured data.
Set up domain canonicalization.
Optimize site speed.
TECHNICAL SEO
#4 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

23. In 2014, Google posted a blog detailing the fact that HTTPS was a ranking signal. Why?
It’s safer than HTTP, and search engines like safer. Safer means a better ranking, a better
ranking is good for SEO, strong SEO is great for content marketing, and great content
marketing attracts quality prospects, which is great for business.
HTTPS (SECURING USERS’ INFORMATION)
#5 8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

24. Mobile is the way of the future. Build with the mobile user
in mind first. Then if need be, adjust for desktop users.
Make sure that your website looks great and performs effectively
on all mobile devices and browsers. Also, optimize your website
using the technical SEO elements we discussed in SEO Driver #4.
An important word about voice search. With the advent of
personal assistants like Alexa and Siri, mobile search and voice
search are converging. Forty-one percent of adults use voice
search more than once a day.* With voice search, the searcher
only hears the first result. That means being #1 is all that matters.
To capture voice search customers, consider creating content that
represents the questions your audience is likely to ask during the
buying journey. Create an individual page per question. You can
ask your web developer to link them all together on one FAQ
page as well.
And mobile should make you think about how you write: shorter paragraphs, smart
use of headlines and subheadlines, great images.
#6
MOBILE FRIENDLINESS
8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency
*Source: Google.com

25. SOCIAL ENGAGEMENTS INFLUENCE SEO.
Make your content marketing work harder by
AMPLIFYING IT TO REACH MORE PEOPLE FASTER.
TURN YOUR MOST ENGAGING SOCIAL CONTENT into organic content, and vice versa
Make SHARE BUTTONS prominent
Make it EASY for people to SHARE KEY SNIPPETS of your content
OPTIMIZE your content FOR SOCIAL SEARCH
LINK POSTS TO APPROPRIATE LANDING PAGES where people can learn more
#7
SOCIAL SIGNALS
8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

26. YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FIND YOUR CONTENT, AND STICK AROUND LONG
ENOUGH TO LOVE IT AND SHARE IT.
GOOGLE CARES ABOUT POGO STICKING. POGO STICKING OCCURS WHEN A USER
PERFORMS A SEARCH, CLICKS ON A RESULT, VERY QUICKLY CLICKS BACK TO THE
SEARCH RESULTS PAGE, AND CLICKS ON A DIFFERENT RESULT.
HIGH RATES OF POGO STICKING = LOWER RANKINGS ON GOOGLE
Make your site/app a place people want to visit
and intuitively know what to do once they arrive.
#8
USER EXPERIENCE
8 DRIVERS FOR CONTENT MARKETING
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

27. It all boils down to this: Create content that
your prospects care about. Write naturally,
employ technical SEO best practices and
amplify your content to give people - your
prospects and your influencers - a safe and
easy way to share it.
Knowing how your content is positioned in the
engines, and the factors that impact its ability
to be seen, is a critical lesson for all brands and
their content creators.
#8SEODrivers | @MowerAgency

28. To learn more, contact the smart folks at Eric Mower + Associates | Mary Owusu, Director of Analytics.